An affiliate of Phoenix Investors, a national private commercial real estate firm, signed a lease for approximately 134,000 square feet with Sellars Absorbent Materials, Inc. to relocate into the former Lowe's Home Improvement store at 5800 W. Hope Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Property was built in 2004 and has been vacant since Lowe's closed this location in 2009. Since the store closure, the building became a blight on the Midtown Center and the surrounding area. Phoenix purchased the property in July 2016.

Phoenix will make structural and cosmetic upgrades to the property for Sellars' distribution operations. In addition, Phoenix plans to comprehensively upgrade the landscaping consistent with the suggestions developed during its planning with the City of Milwaukee.

"We are very pleased that we were able to continue to expand within the City of Milwaukee. We are hopeful that we can have the same positive impact on the neighboring community as we have had around the formerly vacant Sam's Club building on 76th Street," said Tom Sellars, Chairman & CEO of Sellars Absorbent Materials.

"While we had a number of options to fill the former Lowe's, we held out for a high quality tenant suitable for the growth and sustainability of the neighborhood. As a long-term stakeholder, we were delighted to attract a local Milwaukee manufacturing success story to Midtown, said Frank Crivello, Phoenix Founder & Chairman.

Sellars will bring jobs and economic activity to Midtown while contributing to the elimination of blight in the surrounding area," he added. "We are grateful to Commissioner Rocky Marcoux and Alderman Cavalier Johnson for their attention and efforts to help get our lease transaction with Sellars over the finish line. This is a win for Phoenix, a win for Sellars, and a win for the City of Milwaukee."

"Midtown Center is the economic heartbeat of not only my aldermanic district but of the northwest side of Milwaukee," said 2nd District Alderman Cavalier Johnson. "It is critically important that we focus on filling vacant storefronts with the right mix retail and other uses. I want to thank Phoenix Investors for working collaboratively with my office and the Department of City Development to ensure that we were able to achieve that goal with a local company that will remove blight, create jobs, and reactivate the former Lowe's space."

"The reactivation of this space is good news for the neighbors and for Midtown Center," Mayor Tom Barrett said. "Midtown is evolving with a mix of uses that continues to include retail. With the addition of Sellars, Midtown is adding a strong, job-creating business here."